Disconnecting device



I..P. ARNDT. 'DISCONNECTING DEVIC. APPLICATION FILED OCT-,24, 1919.

Patented July 1l, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET IA.

1. P. APNDT.

DISCONNECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 001.24, 1919.

Patented July 11, 1922.

4 sHEUs-SH'PET 2.

@ahum fd H. TW a rZ/Uf J. P. ARNDT. DISCONNECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 24 I9I9 Patented July 11, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- 7306/325 JO/Up JV/Vm PATENT, OFFICE.

JOHN P. ARNDT, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

DISCONNECTING DEVICE.

Specification ofv Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1922.

Application led October 24, 1919. Serial No. 333,001;

T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN P. ARNDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Disconnecting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a disconnecting device.

Such disconnecting devices are particularly useful in transmission lines where it is desired to temporarily isolate a. section for the purpose of making repairs or clearing trouble thereon, but may be employed for other purposes.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved disconnecting device for mechanically and electrically connecting two line conductors together.

Another object is to provide a disconnecting device for mechanically uniting two line conductors and which will automaticcallyseparate the two conductors electrically upon the passage of an excess ot' current.

Another object is to provide/.a disconnecting device which when connected between two line conductors takes up the strain thereof without putting any strain upon the terminals of the disconnectingA device with which the line conductors Aare electrically connected.

Another object is to provide a unitary -disconnecting device which when connected between two line conductors requires i no support other than the line conductors with which it is connected.

Another object is to provide a disconnecting device which will maintain two line conductors mechanically connected 'after the electrical separation thereof.

Another object is to provide a disconnect-v ing device which may be easily and quickly installed. v I

Another object is to provide a disconnecting device which when installed is easily manipulated.

Othery objects will appear from the fol-` lowing speciication and claims.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 1s a side elevation of a disconnecting device having a fuse connected in the,

movableV blade thereof.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the disconnecting device shown in Fig. .1.

Fig. 3 is a. sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of disconnectingdevice having a fuse bridging the stationary terminals thereof.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the disconnecting device shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the disconnecting device shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a disconnecting device provided with a different form of terminal.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of a contact blade having the terminal jaw and clips connected by a' conducting bar which contact blade may be employed in place of that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. l

Fig. 9 is a-view of a disconnecting device mounted vertically on a pole.

Fig. 1() is a view on line lO-lO of Fig. 9.' y

Fig. 11 is a top plan of two disconnecting devices mounted horizontally on a pole by a common bracket.

Fig. 12 is a view of a line in whichl two disconnecting devices are connected. y

Figures 1 to 8 will irst be described.

The disconnecting device shown in these figures comprises a cylindrical base 20 of insulating material such as wood of the vrequisite strength and preferably thoroughly impregnated with an effective preservative. A metal cap or bracket 21 fitting over each end of the base 2() is secured thereto by disconnecting device are mounted upon the caps 21 by means of the bolts or screws 23 as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. Each terminal is provided with an opening 27 for receiving the end of a line conductor held therein by set screws 28.

The terminal is provided with a contact jaw 29 while the terminal 26 is provided with rigid and movable contact clips 30 and 31. The movable contact clip 3l is mounted intermediateits ends on the free end of a flexible strip 32, of material such asbrass. The other end of the flexible strip 32 tits in a slot in the terminal 26 and is keyed thereto by a pin 33. This strip 32 is also brazed or soldered to the terminal 26 to form intimate contact therewith.

The contact clips of the terminal 26 and the jaw 29 of the terminal 25 may be bridged by a Contact blade having at one end a pair of contact clips pivoted to the jaw 29 and at the opposite end a contact jaw 36, an insulating strip 34 joining the clips 35 and the jaw 36. To insure good contact of low resistance and minimum heating between the contact clips 35 and the terminal jaw 29, the clips and the jaw are clamped between spring washers 38 engaged by the head of the pivot screw and the nut thereon. y The contact jaw 36 is provided at the free end of the contact blade tits between the rigid and movable Contact clips 30 and 31 of the ter minal 26. The manner of mounting the movable contact clip 31 on the flexible strip 32 insures perfect contact between the jaw and the clips.

Electrical connection between the contact clips 35 Aand the contact jaw 36 mounted upon opposite ends of the insulating strip 34 may be made by means of a fuse link 39 clamped into contact with the jaw and clips by wing nuts 40 engaging machine screws 43 extending through and engaging the clips and the jaw. Upon the passage of an excess current through the disconnecting device, the fuse link 39 blows automatically opening the disconnecting device.

In order that the disconnecting device may be easily and quickly opened, the i'ree end of the contact jaw 36 is provided with an aperture 41 adapted to receive a hook for moving the contact jaw 36 out of engagement with the contact clips 30 and 31 of the terminal 26. The open position of the disconnecting device is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

Figures 4 to 6 will next be described.-

The disconnecting device of Figures 4 to 6 is similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 3 and differs therefrom principally in that the electrical connection between the terminals can be interrupted easily and quickly only by removal of the fuse link or the blowing thereof.

A single bolt or screw 23 is employed for securing each cap 21 to the base 20. A fuse clip 45 and a terminal clip 46 are mounted on the top of each cap 21 andare secured thereon by means of a nut engaging the upper end of the bolt or screw 23 which extends through apertures provided in the fuse and terminal clips. A fuse link 51 may be connected with the fuse clips 45 by means of screws 49 and cooperating wing nuts 52 which clamp the fuseto the fuse clips.

The line conductorsl are tied to the rings 24 in the same way as in the disconnecting device shown in Figures 1 to 3 and the end of the wires are inserted at 48 and clamped between the plates of the clamping terminal clips 46, the screws 53 and cooperating nuts serving to clamp the conductors between the plates of the clips.

Figure 7 shows a tubular terminal 54 which together with the fuse clip 45 is clamped to and held in position on top of the cap 21 by means' ot the nut 5() cooperating with the bolt or screw 23 extending through aligned apertures in the base cap, fuse clip and terminal. The line conductor may be tied to the ring 24 in the manner before described, and the end thereof inserted and soldered in the tubular terminal 54.

Figure 8 shows a contact blade having a copper bar 55 joining the contact jaw 56 and contact clips 57 provided at opposite ends of the contact blade. The clips 57 are provided with aligned apertures 58 whereby the contact blade may be pivoted to the contact jaw 29 in the same manner asthe contact blade shown in Figures 1 and 2 is pivoted thereto. The contact jaw 56 is also provided with an opening 59 for receiving a hook for opening and closing the disconnecting device. No fuse is provided on this contact blade.

Figures 9 and 10 show mounted upon a pole 60 a disconnecting device of the type shown in Figures 1 to 3. A strap 61 having a loop 62 formed therein for fitting closely over the base 2O of the disconnecting device and held in place thereon by the screw 64 may be' provided for attaching the disconnecting device to the pole 60. In order that the vertically mounted disconnecting device may be eas-ily and quickly opened manually, the contact jaw is provided with a laterally extending projection 65 having an opening 66 for receiving a hook. These disconnecting devices maybe mounted on poles at a considerable distance from the ground and in order that the disconnecting devices may be opened and closed from the ground or other level considerably lower than the disconnecting device, it becomes necessary that the hook for engaging the opening in the lateral extension of the switch blade be mounted on the end of a polewhich may be easily and quickly raised and lowered.

Where the disconnecting device is provided with a fuse link, and it becomes necessary to replace a blown fuse link, it will of course be necessary that the repairman get near enough to the disconnecting device to make the change. However when it is desired merely to make repairs or clear some be opened to isolate the particular sectionl of line, which opening may be effected from the ground.

The line conductor 67 may be attached to the ring 24 by passing the conductor through the ring and wrapping the conductor around itself for a few turns before the end thereof is connected with the terminal mounted on the cap 21. The base 20 and the metal end caps 21 mechanically connect the incoming and outgoing line conductors and bear the weight of the Wires andtake up all strain of the line conductors. The lterminals of the switch are thereby relieved of the strain of the line conductors, and thel line conductors between the rings 24 and the terminals are relieved of any strain. The maintenance of reliable Contact between the conductors and the terminals is .thereby assured.

Figure l1 shows 4two disconnecting devices mounted upon opposite sides of a pole. These disconnecting devices are supported by a strap 7 O attached to and extending approximately half way around the pole. Each of the laterally extending ends 71 of the strap 70 is curved to receive the base 20 of the disconnecting devices which is fastened thereto by means of `a screw 72.

Figure l2 shows disconnecting devices 68 and 69 connectedv in line conductors 73 and 74C between two poles 75 and 76. The line conductors are strung upon poles and are fastened to insulators 77 carried by cross arms 78 mounted upon the poles. The line conductors are attached to the rings 24 in the base end caps of the disconnecting devices and the ends of the conductors are connected with the terminals mounted upon the end caps. The base and the attached end caps of each disconnecting device mechanically hold the lconnected line conduc- -tors together and take up any strain therein while the terminals of thevdisconnecting dev'ice arenot subjected to the strains of the line conductors. No support for the disconnecting devices other than the line conductors between which they are connected is required.

Obviously other structures may be devised which will embody the invention herein set forth.

What is claimed is:

, A disconnecting device adapted to mechanically and electrically connect two line conductors together, comprising a cylindrical insulating base, a metallic cap fitting over and attached to each end of the base and provided with a ring to which one of the line conductors may be secured, whereby the base and metallic caps take up the strain of the line conductors, a terminal mounted upon each cap," the terminals being provided with means for connecting the respective line conductors therewith, a contact jaw carried by the one terminal` a resilient clip carried by the other terminal. a .contact arm including an insulating strip carrying at opposite ends contact blades. one blade being pivoted on the jaw and the other adapted to be engaged by the resilient clips, and a fuse link connected between the contact blades of the contact arm.

in witness whereof, have hereunto subscribed rny name. A

JHN P. ARNDT. 

